EXILED
by KuroiTori-sama
Summary: To protect the village, he cut the demon loose. It didn't work. In order to fix himself and everything else, Naruto decided to walk the lonely path of an exile, knowing that he'd be branded a nukenin and marked for death. But, once a hero…
1. Chapter 1 – The sword named 'Heart'

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**_

Rating T (I guess)

Plot summary: To protect the village, he cut the demon loose. It didn't work. In order to fix himself and everything else, Naruto decided to walk the lonely path of an exile, knowing that he'd be branded a nukenin and marked for death. But, once a hero…

Author explanation: Did you notice that in this type of fanfics, pretty much all Naruto characters (save for Jiraiya) are bitchified and turned into a bunch of hateful assholes? There's gotta be a better way of doing it! Time to prove my worth.

E X I L E D

Chapter 1 – The sword named "Heart"

Red.

That's what the world had become. There was no other way to call it. The midnight sky… was red from the fires. The ground… was dyed red. How could this have happened? A question asked by the many. Or rather… a question asked by the few, the lonely few.

The few that lived, that is. She was among them, those lucky few. Yes, she was wounded, wounded gravely, mortally even, perhaps, but for now, she was ALIVE. As she did her best to run, she stumbled and fell to the ground. Instinctively, her eyes drifted downward, looking at what she tripped over.

A woman. It was a woman, her long blond hair was stained red, and it covered her face.

"Ino? Ino!" She reached for her childhood friend, shaking her lifeless body. Seconds later, her medical training kicked in, and her hands moved over Ino's chest, her palms glowing in radiant green light. It hurt. It hurt so badly, the wounds that covered her left arm and back. Both her legs were broken from the fall, as the immense explosion of chakra ripped the Hokage Mountain into atoms.

'_How could it come to this…?'_ she asked no one in particular, as she forced all of her chakra into the massive gash on Ino's chest, desperately struggling to stem the relentless flow of blood.

"Naruto…" she sobbed his name. "How did it come to this!"

But deep inside, she already knew the truth. Madara. Uchiha… Madara. He was too powerful. The war. She clenched her teeth, angry at herself, at the whole goddamn world for not…

'_There had to have been some things that I could – that someone could have done to stop this.' _

In horror, she watched as the towering figure of the Kyuubi emerged from the giant cloud of dust. Its huge jaw was open wide, as the energy required for the Bijūdama, as both positive and negative chakra filled the air around the great beast's mouth.

"Don't…" she whispered silently only to let out a scream as the Bijūdama exploded outward in the form of a massive beam of energy wiping out homes, streets, people… Tears flowed down her face.

"He didn't mean it…" she whispered. "Naruto loves this village…" Again, one of the massive tails swung down, shattering the ground on impact. "He's fighting for us!" she tried to convince herself. "He's fighting for us!"

'_Why didn't we foresee that something like this could happen… Why didn't anyone ever ask themselves, exactly how strong that man is…'_

A small figure could be seen between the beast's attacks, blurring and disappearing to avoid the attacks. A hero and a monster… Who would have guessed that the monster was the human and not the beast? The Kyuubi lunged forward, enclosing the man within its jaw. Seconds later, the man emerged unscathed through the side of the jaw like some ghost or a phantom.

Even from her distance, she could see Madara's hands moving in a blur, weaving in hand seals of nature unknown to her. But that horrid feeling in her stomach could not lie. And then it happened. Out of nowhere, black flames erupted out of thin air. Even the great beast that Naruto had become retreated, before the onslaught of that merciless inferno as dark as the void, terrifying as death.

She shook her head. Naruto would definitely win. He always managed to come on top.

'_Naruto…'_

"S-Sakura?" She heard her name being called.

"Ino!" She looked down at the now half-closed wound on Ino's chest, realizing her friend was awake.

'_She'll live!'_ The thoughts of joy filled her mind with warmth unsuited for such a day, filled with tragedy. But…! _'She'll live! Oh…Thank you, god…' _She grabbed Ino's shaking hand.

"You'll be fine, Ino! You'll be fine…"

O-O-O

"How did I let it come to this…?"

She was lying on the ground, her body broken, while she barely remained conscious. She was the Hokage… The Hokage, damn it! That had to account for something… right?

'_But if that is the truth…' _She gritted her teeth, as tears of desperation flowed down her face. _'Damn it!'_ If that was the truth, then… _'Why…? Why am I here, lying on this blood stained mud, while that boy is…'_

The Kyuubi roared in agony, as the black flames touched its skin. In seconds, the entire monstrous body of the beast was covered in this firry blackness, hiding the demon from view. And a mere seconds more… a powerful burst of combined positive and negative chakra exploded in all directions, detonated at almost pointblank range. In spite of all the power the legendary Amaterasu possessed, the pure amount of demonic chakra filled the air in that explosion was enough to blast the flames away from the flame's target, rending both the ground beneath and the Kyuubi's flesh to shreds. But the monstrosity would regenerate. As long as the container lived, it would always regenerate, ready to unleash the full brunt of its bloodlust down upon the only being in the universe it truly hated.

Even from a distance as great as hers, Tsunade could still hear the Kyuubi's feral voice, as it screamed the Uchiha's accursed name.

Madara…!

It screamed.

Madara!

It roared.

Madara! MADARA! MAAADAAARRRAAA!

Even Tsunade had to cover her ears, the fury of the beast was deafening.

She knew she had to move. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to move. She had to protect him, to protect the boy that would one day claim the title of the Hokage, a title that was rightfully his, a title that she merely held on for him. But now, that boy's future was more uncertain than ever. This time…

She wished to scream, to trash, to do something – anything! She was the Hokage for pity sake! She had to… She had to…

But as her gaze drifted down, she knew the truth.

'_How can I move…?'_ She thought bitterly.

"How can I move with these damned legs of mine? !" Tsunade screamed in anger and desperation, looking at the charred remains of her lower body. _'Don't die…'_

"Don't die, Naruto!"

…

Whether the great demon had truly heard her or not on that day, would forever remain a mystery. But, for whatever reason it may be, its reflexes sharpened, its murderous gaze hardened.

Madara used his Jikūkan Idō to appear behind the kyuubi's neck, aiming to strike at the one weakness shared by all manner of creatures both great and small, but it was not to be so. The monster moved faster than the eye could follow; its nine deadly tales soared through the sky, each bearing the deadly burning chakra ready to burn the human to a smoldering crisp.

No time to for a fancy disappearing act this time. Madara's Jikūkan Idō was useless!

He draws his chakra sword, the only way he knows that is fast to save him.

The Iai rips through the tails like they were nothing.

But that split of focus was all that the beast truly needed to gain the advantage. The Uchiha would not be given a chance to think. Faster than a thought, the jaws of the mightiest of all the demons closed down on the accursed human.

No Jikūkan Idō. No nothing.

The giant fox howls among the ruined world of Konoha, the blood of its most hated enemy staining its teeth. And just like that, the orange fur that it donned seemed to retreat back into the body, as its flesh shrank, leaving behind the exposed bone, until even the bones retreated, loosing in size, becoming ever smaller, until a figure of a seventeen year old boy was all that was left, standing in a huge crater, where once a monument to heroes stood.

O-O-O

Through the ruins, she trudged.

The dead littered the way, but she did not see them. Her eyes were for him only.

The wounded called for help, the dying cried and screamed their dying breaths, but Sakura did not hear them. Her ears were for him only.

Naruto.

She stumbled over a body, nearly falling down. She did not look at it. There was no time.

She could see him. He was right there, staring at the annihilation, with that horrified look on his face. She was close enough to see his eyes. The pain in them…

She had to look away.

'_It's not your fault!' _She wanted to scream to him, but could not force her mouth to open. Even with all of her emotions penned up in her throat, she could not find a word that would comfort him now.

'_Naruto…'_

She tried to wrap her arms around him, to pull him into a hug and not let go. Not let go, until he would finally close those pain-filled eyes, and sink into sleep's warm embrace. But before her hands could touch him, he jumped back, staring at her wide-eyed, now with a completely different type of horror inscribed within those eyes.

"Don't touch me." A single command. But a command strong as the earth.

Other people were slowly gathering. Slowly, the air was filled with different cries. They were the cries of the victorious. There was Kakashi-sensei, his face still hidden behind the remains of a half-torn mask, which's end he held up with his hand. Even so, the smile on his face was clearly evident. And there behind him, the three Hyuuga's, Neji, Hinata, Hanabi, all beaten up, bloodied, and bruised, all were looking at him with such pride. Even though Neji was leaning on the two girls, with his left leg nearly torn off, the bleeding barely stopped, he still managed to keep that look on his face. And there was Kiba, still brushing the dust and dirt and the battle grime off of himself, as he was only recently dug up from under the ruins by his sister, Hana. Both bore the faces of exhaustion and pain, but still they somehow managed to smile for him.

"Naruto…"

"Naruto."

"Naruto?"

"Naruto~!"

Like a wildfire, his name spread through the gathered crowd, which grew by the minute.

There were Chōji and his dad. And Shikamaru and his parents. And Yamanaka Inoichi, holding his daughter Ino in his hands.

"Why…?" Naruto whispered. The crowd fell silent. "Why…?" His sorrow-filled gaze slowly drifted over their faces, pausing to look at each and every one of them, as if he wanted to look them one last time, to make sure he would remember their happy, smiling faces… "Why is everyone smiling…?"

He looked at the ground.

"…it burns…"

"Naruto…?" Sakura slowly whispered his name, reaching out to him. He pulled away.

"Don't touch me."

"Naruto…?" She called his name again, worried. His lips moved silently, but no words came out. He opened his mouth again, slowly uttering the words.

"Everything I touch…"_ 'Everything is burning…'_ He somehow managed to turn towards her. His gaze was fixed at the ground.

"Why… Sakura-chan? We won, didn't we? So…" His voice was so pleading, it was painful to listen. "So… why do I feel like this? Sakura-chan, I can't hear the Kyuubi anymore. But I still hear it!"

Sakura looked at him in fear, dreading from what might have happened. His body seemed to be fine, but… Was Naruto's mind broken?

"I still hear the Kyuubi's voice! It's there every time I think, but he is not talking to me!" As she took a step closer to him, she felt strange traces of warmth on her skin.

"Look at me, Naruto." She ordered.

He looked away.

"Naruto! Look at me!"

He slowly raised his head, until his eyes met her own. Sakura barely managed to bite back the scream.

One of Naruto's eyes was red, with a slit for a pupil.

"Those are my thoughts, Sakura-chan…" he whispered. "I hear the Kyuubi but… THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS!"

Only now did she realize.

His left eye was red. His clothes were smoldering.

_(Flashback)_

"…_it burns…"_

…

"_Everything I touch…"_

_(End Flashback)_

She was startled when he finally spoke again.

"Sakura-chan… you can no longer touch me." His voice was as heavy as the grave. "Everything I touch now, it is burning…" _'Even the ground beneath my feet…' _When he looked her in the eyes, she did not look away. No one did.

"Sakura-chan… What happened to me?"

O-O-O

END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER

O-O-O

Extra: The Hokage war jurnal

Fourth Shinobi World War

(…and the fall of the Shinobi Aliance)

O-O-O

Entry #341 by Tsunade, General of the Shinobi Rengōgun and the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no sato.

Time: 8.36 pm

_We have held of the Zetsu offensive for over two month now. Even though our supplies are running low, we can still hold of the relentless hordes of these white monsters, along with their undying allies. We have to seal way those that were brought back. There is no way for us to kill them. At first, we could set their hearts at ease, but that is no longer possible. We though to hide away our two most powerful trump cards, Natuto and Bee, but we failed to account for their nature. Should've figured they would break out eventually. Should have, but didn't. So instead, we employed them in battle, always moving them, not allowing them to spend any more than a few hours on every battlefield, fearing that Uchiha Madara would appear and take them away with that power of his. I will not write where they sleep nor where they eat and rest, in case this paper ever falls into enemy hands. Only the Raikage and the Tsuchikage know of its exact location. _

_I have to go now. My scouts have just returned. It seems another large group of Zetsu is almost at our doorstep. No sake tonight for me, it seems. Damn thing seems to be happening more frequent with every day now._

O-O-O

Entry #367 by Tsunade, General of the Shinobi Rengōgun and the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no sato.

Time: 4.09 am

_Madara appeared this night. Had to call in reinforcements, lots of them. Gaara helped out big time. I owe that kid the lives of both myself and my men. But, even with him, we would have been slaughtered, had Madara been truly out to get us. It's like he doesn't even care if we're here or not. As soon as he was sure the jinchuuriki were not there, he left. I can only hope his arrogance earns him a kunai in the throat._

_Or between the legs. Both are evenly preferable. _

_I have to go tend to the wounded now. Gaara nearly lost both of his eyes this time. If I wasn't there, he would be blind now. I'm not letting him down._

O-O-O

Entry #411 by Tsunade, General of the Shinobi Rengōgun and the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no sato.

Time: -.- pm; somewhere in the afternoon.

_Finally got a few seconds for a breather. Damn that man! How many more of those white monsters has he got left anyway? The 'whities', as the men had begun to call the white zetsu, have pulled back for now. Finished healing the wounded. We'll need every shinobi we can get. The enemy will be returning soon, no doubt about it._

_It's been over a month that Naruto and Bee have joined the frontlines. We're still playing defense. What is Raikage thinking? We can't keep up this much longer. I've requested for food, clean water, medical supplies and manpower, but the whole army is running short at the moment._

_DAMN! Here they come agai__

O-O-O

Entry #434 by Tsunade, General of the Shinobi Rengōgun and the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no sato.

Time: 1.55 am

_Good news, finally! Gaara's back in action! I can't believe I ever felt so glad to see someone. He pushed them back again! A god-sent, that's what he is. He and the other two, Naruto and Bee, that is. Haven't seen the Konoha's most unpredictable ninja lately though. Been hearing all sorts of stuff about him however. It turns out he's some big hero up at the northern edge of the front. Beat an entire army singlehandedly, and with _Hiraishin_, no less! Iwagakure started cheering "Konoha's Yellow Flash! Konoha's Yellow Flash!" Took them a while to realize that wasn't Minato. Then they changed it to "Konha's Orange Flash!"_

_Sakura should be able to handle things for an hour or two, I hope. I need some sleep if I'm to be able to tell Konoha shinobi from zetsu next time the attack starts._

O-O-O

Entry #471 by Tsunade, General of the Shinobi Rengōgun and the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no sato.

Time: 1.55 am

_Finally! Finally! We were given the order to move forward! We're pushing forward. All cards are down now. Every trick A had in store for Madara is now ready for use! We'll show them! We'll show them the true strength of shinobi!__ Sangaku no Hakaba! Mountains' Graveyard! We're coming!_

O-O-O

Entry #4_FUCK! FUCK! DAMNIT!

_They got us! THEY FUCKING GOT US! I'm in a cave now, somewhere half way between the front and Konoha. What's left of my forces is either here with me or scattered along the way, trying to get back to Konoha. He had a clone of my grandfather! THE FIRST FUCKING HOKAGE! Bee got captured almost immediately. I don't know where Naruto is. Kakashi was with him the last time I saw them. I can only guess they're safe since we're still not enslaved by Madara's world domination jutsu. _

_I saw Gaara and his siblings covering our retreat. Hope that kid made it out alive. If he hasn't I'll kill him! _

O-O-O

_Day 31 since the Shinobi Rengōgun fell. No idea if other villages still exist. We're in Konoha. Naruto as well. Madara knows this. We've been surrounded and under constant siege ever since we made it back._

_Many villagers beg for me to surrender. How am I to explain to them that Madara accepts no surrender?_

_Our supplies are almost out._

_I can hear the war songs those white monstrosities sing outside._

_HE IS HER__

O-O-O

This is where the file ends, its final word never finished, with a pencil line marking the moment the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no sato, the proud village hidden among leaves rushed into a battle already lost to her. This record was recovered several weeks among the ruins, after the horrid battle that took place. Though nobody noticed it then the battle on that day marked the end of Konohagakure no sato, the proud village hidden among leaves. Not just Konoha. It marked the end of a world, and ushered the dawn of a new age, an age of uncertainty.

But ages have little to do with us shinobi. Be it good or bad, we press onward, and ever anward. We will survive, no matter what.

_~Anonymous_

O-O-O

END OF EXTRA

O-O-O

Translations:

Bijūdama – Tailed beast ball

Jikūkan Idō – Space–Time Migration (Madara's power to fade in and out of reality into a pocket dimension of his)

Iai – quick draw

Shinobi Rengōgun – Allied Shinobi Forces

Konohagakure no sato – Village Hidden in the Leaves

Sangaku no Hakaba – Mountains' Graveyard (Madara's hideout)

Whities – Whites. NOT TO BE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT OF THIS STORY! I MEAN IT!

BTW, a heads up - Shinobi in this universe are not aware that Tobi is not the real Uchiha Madara. (though you probably figured that out on your own by now)

_So much from me this time! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. Reviews are highly appreciated, as always. This is a pilot chapter, sort of. Hope you know what that means._

_See you soon!_

_~KuroiTori-sama_


	2. Chapter 2  The sword named 'Heart' pt2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**_

Rating T (I guess)

A/N: Angst, angst, angst… aaand… more angst. That's not how I want to write my stories, damnit! That's the reason why this chapter got bogged down for so long. Sorry for the wait. Huge thanks to NarutoSPsyren, Electric Claw and Writer's Apprentice for reviewing. It means a lot.

This story is now officially an AU.

Author's advice: Word of caution. All is not as it seems.

O-O-O

Chapter 2 – The sword named "Heart", part 2

O-O-O

Previously on "EXILED"

"_Sakura-chan… you can no longer touch me." His voice was as heavy as the grave. "Everything I touch now, it is burning…" 'Even the ground beneath my feet…' When he looked her in the eyes, she did not look away. No one did._

"_Sakura-chan… What happened to me?"_

O-O-O

Full five days passed since that day, and even now, no one was any closer to finding a proper answer to that question than they were back then. Much to the people's dismay, Naruto had secluded himself in a small temporary tent near the large section of the still standing defensive wall that once encompassed the hellscape that once bore the name of Konohagakure no sato. He would rarely exit it, and even then, remain outside no longer that few minutes. The constant visits of Konoha's shinobi, though he knew were filled with nothing but best intentions, he started to find tiring.

"Don't beat yourself too hard, Naruto." Kakashi once said when he showed up again. "You didn't fight to save a bunch of houses, but the people. We can always rebuild the village, but remember this," he said with a smile, as he put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, in spite the sting of pain such an act triggered – Naruto's body had become less touchable to a considerable factor, during those days, "we can't bring back those that lose their lives."

Naruto said nothing, as he stared at the ground. Kakashi continued talking.

"I know what you must be feeling right now… You're asking yourself why so many had to die, right? Well then ask yourself this – how many would have died if you hadn't fought? How many would be condemned to a fate far worse than death, should you had surrendered yourself instead?"

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto muttered faintly, not even looking up.

Kakashi ruffled his student's hair, "Cheer up." He stood up and moved to leave, but stopped at the tent's entrance. "You got a lifetime of peace ahead of you." With a wink he added: "Face it with a smile."

But as he left, Naruto returned to staring at his hands, with that horrified look on his face.

"I'm not sure there will be any peace for me, Kakashi-sensei…"

O-O-O

"Well… that was productive." Kakashi noted sarcastically as he walked in Tsunade's tent.

"How is he doing?" Tsunade asked, as she laid on her makeshift bed inside one of many temporary tents the people of Konoha put up for those who had nowhere to go. Beneath the sheaths that went up all the way up to her waist, her legs were thoroughly bandaged; the horrific burns beneath were already sanitized and treated by herself, along with the aid of both Sakura and Shizune. Because of all the foreign diplomats of the neighboring towns that encompassed Konoha that arrived to show their support, Tsunade was still wearing her Hokage mantle over her shoulders, with the traditional Hokage hat resting on top of her head.

"Not good, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi replied, as he sat down on the chair next to her bed. "Everything seems to point towards a deep state of trauma, like he's blaming himself over what had happened."

"Post traumatic stress disorder?"

"Seems like it. Tsunade-sama, if I may…?"

"What is it?"

The look on Kakashi's face, even through the mask, betrayed the discomfort he felt.

"Tsunade-sama, I know this may sound insensitive, but don't you find the fact that he only started to act like this now to be strange, when there were some far more traumatic experiences in his life?"

"Maybe this was just the final drop?" Tsunade theorized. She herself was not generally specialized in this area. She did have several ANBU trainers who dealt with the subject more, but almost all ANBU trainers of all classes were with Naruto, helping him improve in various skills when Madara attacked. Currently, to ask for the help of most of them would require performing a séance.

"Maybe… There are also the strange phenomena of his skin and left eye."

Tsunade bit her lip.

"Okay. The eye is clearly the Kyuubi's, even though I still don't understand how exactly this is possible. It's safe to assume the heat his skin is releasing is also related to the bijū. I ordered Sakura and Shizune to try and cool him down with ice… that didn't work. Whatever it is, it's not harming his body, at least for the moment." She scratched the corner of her brow. "Sadly, the leading expert on the bijū was captured by Uchiha Madara, and is presumed dead." She was, of course, referring to Killer Bee, Naruto's mentor and friend from during the war. Bee was the one who thought Naruto all about the Kyuubi and how to take control of the bijū's power. They fought side by side against the relentless swarms of zetsu and revived shinobi alike. Even though Bee's rimes kept Naruto awake at night, and Naruto's rimes gave Bee nightmares, they managed to form a bond of friendship and trust, the strength of which unlike many she had seen in her years.

"If we could suppress it somehow… but no, Yamato is still unaccounted for." She shook her head – just like so many others, Yamato's fate was still unconfirmed. For all they knew, he could be a prisoner somewhere, but he could just as likely be dead, killed by his captors once he was of no further use to them.

"So that's it, then." Kakashi said in half-whisper, as he faced away from her. Even though she could not see his face, Tsunade knew that he blamed himself. For her, it was not hard to understand why the masked shinobi would blame himself – after all, she was in the exact same position – she blamed herself for all that has happened since war's end.

Kakashi was the first to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon them.

"And what about that other… issue? Why would you do something like that out of the blue?"

"Kakashi, please." She frowned as she crossed her arms. "My two councilors have been nagging me about it for quite some time now."

"And _this _will fix it?" he said giving her the look. "Hokage-sama, forgive me but, have you been drinking?" In reply, Tsunade smirked.

"Yes, but that's beside the point."

Kakashi obviously didn't agree.

"With all due respect, making such a move at a time like this…"

Without responding immediately, Tsunade slowly leaned back into the pillows, trying to calm herself down.

"But how will he interpret-… how will the whole village interpret it?" Kakashi continued to oppose her. "Such a decision-!"

"Is mine to make." Tsunade interrupted him. "I am still your Hokage." She said, anger seeping into her voice. "While the village is in crisis, my word is law!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

O-O-O

Naruto strolled down the makeshift street. For all he knew, he could have been walking on top of someone's home. On top of someone who was in that home when it all came down.

'_And all because I screwed up…'_ he inwardly mussed. In truth, he walked on one of many shallow trenches smashed into existence when the Kyuubi's massive tails slammed into the ground, pulverizing everything beneath them. To the sides of these trenches, people who lost everything had raised their tents, courtesy of the Land of Waves, something both Naruto and the rest of Konoha were very thankful of.

Some of the people he noticed outside were the few who managed to escape the maelstrom of destruction unscathed. Some genin, academy students and their chunin teachers. Most however, were the numerous civilians that were evacuated away from the combat zone. And it was those people that troubled Naruto the most.

'_How am I going to explain to them why they no longer have a place to live?'_ Every now and then, whispers would slip though: 'why can't he just leave' they asked when they saw him, believing to be out of earshot.

He stopped walking at the edge of a large, shallow paw-shaped hole and stared at the ground, sighing. But, the very moment he closed his eyes, something big hit him flat in the face, knocking him of his feet. Naruto tried to get up, only to feel someone's heavy hand land on his shoulder.

"Yo, Naruto!" He heard the voice of a friend. "What's with that pathetic face?"

Naruto rubbed his face. "Ouch." He opened his eyes. "Hey, Chōji." His eyes widened at the sight of his friends physique – it happened all the time. "I don't think I'll ever get used to your new look, slim." He teased his formally 'big-boned' friend.

"Only until the situation in the village improves." Chōji explained seriously.

"Forced diet?"

"Don't remind me." He replied folding his hands. For some reason, that sight made Naruto break into laughter. Seconds later, after he made an insulted face, Chōji joined him. The sound of their combined laughter echoed throughout the tent town, making the people around give them awkward looks.

"Done moping?"

"Yeah." Naruto said with his old grin back in place. "Guess I'm all moped-out! Let's see if we can find something to eat!" Hearing this, Chōji smiled.

"Think we'll actually find something worth sinking our teeth in?" This triggered another burst of laughter from his blond friend. "Hey, I'm serious! No salads!"

Even though Chōji realized Naruto faked at least some of it, he took comfort in the thought that somewhere deep inside that thick skull, his cheerful friend was still there.

O-O-O

Two hours later, he was back in his own small tent, sitting on the ground in a meditative position, pulling into himself as much senjutsu chakra as he could bear, to the point that even his near perfect control over it began to sway to its immense volume. It threatened to overwhelm him at any moment, but…

'_There's no way I'm just rolling over and giving up!'_

There had to be a way for him to get himself back to normal, and he had serious suspicions that that bloody furball knew a thing or two about what Naruto's body was going through.

'_Come on, you stupid fox! Where the hell are you?' _But no matter how much he tried to focus on the beast's presence, all he received was an echo of himself.

"Damn it!" He shouted, unable to suppress his anger any longer. A second later, his sage mode disappeared. He stretched out his legs and lied back on the ground. "Damn." He whispered faintly. "I need help." He glanced over to his shinobi backpack. Or at least he thought it was his – since he used to have had one just like it. His few surviving possessions were already packed inside. A spare outfit, three pairs of clean underwear, a blank sealing scroll he wasn't sure what to fill with, a spare set of kunai and a tinny piece of leather tied to string that held the fragments of Tsunade's necklace. He looked around his tent for a few seconds, just in case there was something he didn't want to leave behind. Now that he finally considered it, the decision to leave came unbelievably easy. No good-byes, no explanations. Just slip out the back. Slip through the cracks. Maybe, one day if his luck held, he would return. Maybe, one day, they would forgive him for leaving like that… for running away like a coward he was, instead of facing the world head-on. But all that would have to wait for a long time. First, he'd get himself fixed. _Then_ he'd keep his promise and bring his friend home. Sasuke. But not only him. Yamato was out there, and Killer Bee too. And others… so many others. He'd find them, if they were still alive. Avenge them had they perished. Folded on his desk, he saw a map showing the shinobi nations. He unfolded it, and sat at the table to see where he might go. _Kaminari no Kuni_, the Land of Lightning, seemed like the obvious choice, since Kumo shinobi had the most experience with the bijū and the jinchuuriki. A slight detour through the _Kaze no Kuni, _Land of Wind would hurt though. Once he had settled on the route, there was only one more thing he'd have to do – he needed to get going. And that was not as easy as it may have seemed.

He waited until dark, put the backpack on and stepped out into the cover of the night, leaving just a single message on the table, on one item no one could ever overlook.

O-O-O

_(Not long after)_

This was not happening.

Not now. Not when everything finally clicked into place! Haruno Sakura frantically ran towards Tsunade's tent. In one hand, she clutched the note she found on the table. Tears rushed to her eyes as she glanced at it for a second – a single sentence written on the back of the old team seven photograph.

"Keep this safe for me, Sakura-chan."

Stupid, stupid, STUPID idiot! Her other hand she held on her chest, desperately holding onto the piece of black cloth… Naruto's Hitai-ate. She had to get to Tsunade right away. In her mind, she remembered the talk she had with her shishō just before she went to see Naruto.

_(Flashback)_

"Are you serious?" She didn't believe it. "Tsunade-shishō, are you absolutely certain you want to do this?" When Tsunade nodded, Sakura frowned. "Do you think he'll like it?"

_(End flashback)_

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! Damnit!" Tomorrow was supposed to be a special day. _His_ special day. One more quick turn, and she burst into Tsunade's tent, startling her shishō and Shizune, as well as Kakashi who was with them at the moment, helping them with the plans for tomorrow. Shizune immediately got up and ran to her.

"What happened Sakura? Why are you crying?"

"He's gone Shizune!" she showed them the forehead protector and the note. Kakashi got up to his feet.

"He couldn't have gone far. There are three roads that lead away from Konoha. I'll take north. Go!" He immediately disappeared.

Shizune nodded."East", and shunshin-ed away.

"Sakura." The pink haired kunoichi turned towards her shishō. "Take me with you." Tsunade pleaded. Sakura quickly got to her and lifted her of the ground – Tsunade seemed as light as a feather in her chakra-strengthened hands.

"West gate, then."

O-O-O

Naruto was standing some twenty meters from the west gate when he heard the sound of something being thrown at him. He turned back instantly, but the light object was flying at near supersonic speed, and it's wide shape smacked him flat across the face, knocking him down on his butt.

"Ow." One he peeled the object from his face, however, he was stunned to see the Hokage hat in his hands.

"Take it you sonuvabitch! It's yours now!" That was Tsunade's voice. And she sounded pissed. As in – really, really pissed. Really, really, _really_ pissed. Naruto gulped in fear as his eyes met hers and Sakura's accusing looks. The pink haired kunoichi was standing, carrying Konoha's Hokage on her back. "What were you thinking you stupid kid? Is this how you want to be remembered Naruto?" Tsunade yelled at him. "As a nukenin? !"

"Baa-chan…"

"Don't you 'baa-chan' me now, Naruto! How dare you do this? ! After everything!"

"I can explain this—"

"How…" he heard Sakura half-whisper while wiping the tears away. "How can you explain this? We were going to make you Hokage, damnit!" Naruto's eyes went wide, and his mouth made into an 'o'. He looked away and stared at the ground. When he looked back up, his eyes were full of resolve.

"What good is a Hokage who can't save himself or his friends?" His lips moved into a small smile, then into a full foxy grin that has become so iconic to everyone that knew him. "I'll fix this. And bring back all of our friends who are still lost. That's a promise of a lifetime."

"Naruto…" Sakura called his name pleadingly, "…if this is still about Sasuke, I already told you I'm over him, so—"

"This has nothing to do with you, Sakura-chan." At that point, Tsunade shook her head. He couldn't possibly understand what his actions meant. What everyone will interpret them as. They'll say he finally snapped. That he ran away because he couldn't deal with it. Gratitude of the ordinary people for his actions would fade way soon after. They'd soon remember him for destroying Konoha. As a monster. She couldn't have that.

"Naruto, do you even have any idea of the repercussions this will lead to?"

"Err… you'd have to call me an exile?"  
>"Worse. You'd destroy everything you built over the years. Can't you see? They'll lose sight of your humanity, just like when you were a kid!"<p>

"I can live with that, for the moment. I'll just add that to my to-fix list."

"Well, I'm glad you're taking this so lightly, because the new Hokage will most likely have to send assassins after you, and put a huge bounty on your head! Everywhere you go people would try to kill you!"

"I think I can handle myse—wait, a new whatnow?"

Tsunade took a deep breath. This could be it. Her next words would ether convince Naruto to stay, or drive him away. She just felt it, and knew it would be true.

"Yes. A new Hokage. They will have to elect a new one, since the old one just resigned twenty minutes ago, and she's not taking back the job." Naruto got back up on his feet, and silently stared at the Hokage hat in his arms. Slowly, he lifted it and placed it on top of his head. When he looked up, he was smiling with the broadest smile Tsunade has ever seen on his face.

"Y'now, I wonder just how much I look like my dad right now." And with that, he took it off. "Hey, baa-chan? Can I cast my vote?"

The two women looked at him, not sure what he meant. Naruto tossed the hat up into the air, and caught it with one hand. Without saying a word, he tossed the hat into Sakura's arms. "Bye!"

In a flash of Shunshin, he was gone. Sakura looked down at the hat, and her eyes went wide as dinner plates as realization finally dawned on her. She looked at Tsunade, seemed to be equally stunned by Naruto's actions. Then the former Hokage smiled.

"Damn that kid. But I think I can make it happen."

"Shishō… will he be okay? He seemed confident, but, wasn't his chakra network damaged?" She sounded as she was about to panic. "He could be defenseless for all we know, and we just let him go!"

"That kid's never defenseless. Even _if_ his chakra network is damaged, he still has one weapon no man could defeat."

"What's that?"

Tsunade smiled warmly. "His heart." And then her smile turned a bit more sadistic. She moved her head closer to Sakura's, and whispered to her. "So, how are we to act upon this, Hokage-sama?" She moved her head just in time to see the pink haired kunoichi opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.

O-O-O

END of second chapter

A/N: Sorry for the super long wait. Like I said in the introduction, angst I cannot do (and I suck at it too). Once I kicked it out, everything went perfect.

Translation section:

Konohagakure no sato – Village Hidden in the Leaves

Senjutsu – Sage Techniques

_Kaminari no Kuni – _Land of Lightning

_Kaze no Kuni – _Land of Wind

Kumo (shinobi) – Cloud shinobi

Bijū – Tailed Beast

Jinchuuriki – Lit. power of human sacrifice; Jinchuuriki serve as containers for the Bijū

Shishō – Honorific for teacher, mentor

Nukenin – Missing ninja

Shunshin – Body Flicker

_That's it from me for now. __Reviews are highly appreciated, as always.(No, really! I mean it. Review.)  
><em>

_See ya!_

_~KuroiTori-sama_


End file.
